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More Than $12 Million In Disaster Funds For N.H. Approved

NEWINGTON, N.H. -- More than $12 million in grants and low interest loans has been approved for 4,504 applicants in just one month since President Bush issued a major disaster declaration for New Hampshire on May 25, according to figures released today by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the New Hampshire Bureau of Emergency Management. Disaster officials added that the number of approved claims will continue to rise as more applications are processed.

4,504 individuals have applied for assistance in the six New Hampshire counties designated for individual assistance.

3,104 claims have been approved for the Individuals and Households Program.

$6,285,585 in grants has been approved through the Individuals and Households Program. (This assistance may be used for temporary disaster housing assistance; repairing disaster-damaged, uninsured homes to a safe, sanitary and functional condition and replacement grants for serious, disaster-related needs and expenses not covered by insurance or other assistance programs.)

883 people have visited one of the five Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) that were temporarily opened in various locations to help meet the needs of disaster victims.

3,786 home loan and 455 business loan applications have been issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

$5,289,200 in loans has been approved by the SBA for homeowners and businesses. SBA officials encourage anyone who has received applications from the SBA to turn it in as soon as possible in order to be eligible for any further assistance.

4,013 home inspections have been completed by FEMA.

The FEMA application and helpline continues to serve the residents of New Hampshire. Individuals, families and business owners who suffered losses in the six declared individual assistance counties should apply for assistance by calling FEMA's toll-free number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairment. These numbers are available 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available to take your call. Individuals with Internet access now have the option to apply on FEMA's website at www.fema.gov, where valuable recovery information is also available. As of June 25, there will only be one month remaining to apply for assistance. The application deadline is Monday, July 24.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.